Christopher Bell

You will be able to record 20 minutes of 720 @24fps per 8 gig card. Two 8 gig cards will give you 40 minutes of record time. The record time will decrease if you go 60p or 1080i. Chris Bell

I think it is important to realize what the HVX-200 is, and what it is not (for now). The reason it can only record 40 min of HD (720 24p) is the shear ammount of data involved. DCVPRO HD is a REAL broadcast quality HD format, not ultra comressed HDV found on the Sony/JVC cams. Better quality=more data. If you need more record time, the Varicam is the better camera for that purpose. Given these limitations, the HVX needs to be thought of in different ways. I find it funny that video people are freaking out about it's record time limitations, while film people are not phased. The camera's limitations will force us to be more creative, with less. It's the Arri S, or Aminima of HD... a small, portable camera capable of shoot high resolution HD images. P2 cards are expensive now, but their price will fall quickly and their capacity will increase... Moore's Law is at work here. Chris Bell

You can edit uncompressed (non firewire) 24p HD with the Blackmagic HD card. It has the ability to read the flagged frames and remove the extra frames. Chris Bell

This camera was introduced recently, so I can't imagine there are too many users yet. It's a 60i only camera. I think it is intended more for TV stations, news gathering, ect. Interesting, it is built into the same body as the SDX-900, and records on a 66m cassette in the EX mode (33min 1080i). Based on what I know about Pansonic cameras, it should make a nice picture. It has 1280x720 CCDs and upconverts to 1080i. Chris Bell

New Info: http://www.creativecow.net/forum/read_post...870&forumid=162 Chris Bell

Phil, Can you comment further on the DVCPRO HD camera that shoots on Mini DV cassettes. Is this Panasonic's answer to the Sony HDV camera? Chris Bell

Daniel, I have seen the Sony, and while the 60i mode looks great, the Cine 24/30 modes are unusable. Sony seems intent on limiting 24p to their CineAlta cameras. I would wait till NAB. I am keen to see what JVC, and Panasonic (maybe Canon) have to offer. Chris Bell

New tape is more abrasive.

Nevermind. Fom Camcorderinfo.com: "An issue arose at the press conference on whether or not the 24P mode on the HVR-Z1 was improved over the HDR-FX1. In the presentation Sony stated that the camcorder had 24 frames per second recording capability. However, after being pushed for a few minutes by questioners, they revealed that the 24 frames mode on the HVR-Z1 is the same as that of the HDR-FX1, meaning it will likely suffer from the same problems and artifacts, and not be considered "true" 24 progressive.." It appears that Sony does not want this camera to take sales away from HDCAM. Chris Bell

Interesting development. I was supprised to see the HVR-Z1U included 24p. I figured that Sony would not want to canibilize their F900 sales. I can hear the moans at the rental houses now who have invested and banked on business from the indie crowd. My first question is regarding the 24p feature. Is it true 24p or a pulldown like the DVX/ SDX/ XL2? Chris Bell

TV news departments tend to get over 100 passes on a DVCpro Tape. Your mileage may vary. Chris Bell

Has anyone done a side by side comparison of these two cameras? I like how compact the DVX is, but the XL2 offers the ability to mount a "real" lens. Thanks, Chris Bell

Panasonic's 1200a deck can downconvert DVCPRO HD via SDI or Composite. It can also transcode DV/DVCAM/DVCPRO25,50,HD to 1080i. Varicam material can be transcoded to 1080p @24fps as well for film out. If you are using a G5 Mac w/FCPHD, seriously consider using the firewire option. It is a very efficient use of drive space, especially at 24p. When I edit, I much prefer to see my footage at full res. Chris Bell, DP Varicam/1200a owner

For Sale: Thermodyne case for Panasonic SDX-900. Good shape, but has some wear marks from the airlines. $450 obo. Contact: 206.932.4444

The Matte Box I was refering to is not made my Van Dieman, rather it is made by TLS. Contact Serious Gear for more info in the US or here is link to their web site: http://www.truelens.co.uk/matte/ Chris Bell

AJ-HDX400 Here is what I can tell from the Panasonic's Japanese web site: Records DVCPRO100 HD at the 9 micron EX speed on medium sized tapes. 1080 60i, no 24p. From the pictures, it looks like they stuck an HD camera into the body of an SDX-900. Here is a link with some pics, but the text is all in Japanese: http://panasonic.biz/sav/camera/aj-hdx400/aj-hdx400.html

The manufacturer of that matte box is very much in business, and well worth cheking out. I think their product is far superior to Petroff. It includes duel rotating stages and a wide shade. The entire kit is very light weight as well. Chris Bell

Check out www.seriousgear.com He sells a British mattbox system which works very nicely. 206.285.4776 Chris Bell

HDCAM is 3:1:1 , HDCAM SR is 4:4:4 Chris Bell

While the Varicam is not the most ideal camera for film-outs, its sinergy with Apple's Final Cut Pro HD makes it a elegent solution when budget is limited. The ability to do variable frame rate is unique among established HD cameras, and I find the 4:2:2 color quite good. Check out the Apple and Panasonic web sites for more information. Chris Bell

Make sure your SDX is in the Cine Gamma mode in order to extract the most from the shadows. Get a good engineer to set up your SDX and save the settings to a memory card. Chris Bell

What?s next: 16mm is better than 35mm? I think the conversation here is far to simplistic. Slinging around resolution and compression schemes is ignoring the unique niche each format has. Sony?s progressive HDCAM is a logical choice for feature film makers who need maximum resolution for projection. It is, however, expensive to shoot and edit. The Varicam, and DVCPROHD offer a lower cost solution and the unique ability to over and undercrank. For commercial shooters like myself, variable frame rate is far more important than a few extra lines of resolution. If I was only concnerned with resolution, film would be the obvious choice. I think it is time to look at each format and discuss how to maximize its potential. Remember, filmmaking is a business and budgets dictate the format you will shoot. As cinematographers, it is our job to maximize what each format is capable of, whether it be Film, HD, SD, or a Fisher Price pixel vision camera. Chris Bell Cinematographer www.spotshooter.com

My SDX also displays timecode on the lower third. I will review the menus and see if there is a way to adjust this. Perhaps it is a software glitch with your camera? Try resetting to factory settings and see if anything changes. Chris Bell Seattle

http://www.abelcine.com/bodies/body177.php

Great to have a dedicated SDX forum again...spread the word to all your fellow users. Thanks Tim and Jan for making this happen! Chris Bell SDX-900 Owner/Operator